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Sean Lennon has brilliant casting idea for who could portray his dad, John Lennon, in Sam Mendes biopic

Musician said it would be ‘very hard’ to cast someone in the role of his late father

Roisin O'Connor
Monday 11 March 2024 11:34 GMT
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Sean Ono Lennon already has some thoughts about the casting for Sam Mendes’ forthcoming Beatles films, where he will create four separate movies: one for each of the Fab Four.

The musician and son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono attended the Oscars on Sunday (10 March) with his girlfriend, singer and model Charlotte Kemp Muhl.

His project War is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko, which follows two soldiers on opposite sides playing chess while communicating with carrier pigeons, won the award for Best Animated Short.

Speaking to Variety on the red carpet, Sean agreed that four movies was “the minimum you need” to cover the “epic story” of the Liverpool-formed pop band.

Asked about who he wanted to see play the role of his father, Sean responded: “I’m hoping that Emma Stone might consider it because she did such a good job in Poor Things.

“I think if you’re gonna reach that as an actor, the next obvious step is to really go for it and be John Lennon.”

Sean also joked that he could be cast as his mum, Yoko.

Sean Lennon, left, with his girlfriend Charlotte Kemp Ruhl, and his late father, John, with Yoko Ono (Getty)

Announcing the Beatles project in February, studio Sony said that the movies are set to be released from 2027 and “will intersect to tell the astonishing story of the greatest band in history”.

Mendes, known for his work steering James Bond films Skyfall and Spectre, said that he hoped that the four-part experience will challenge viewers’ notions of what it means to go to the cinema.

“I’m honored to be telling the story of the greatest rock band of all time, and excited to challenge the notion of what constitutes a trip to the movies,” he said in a statement.

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Her next role? Emma Stone with her Oscar for Best Actress (Getty Images)

Sean Lennon acknowledged the daunting task of playing a real-life character as world-famous as his father.

“I do think with someone as famous as my dad, it’s very hard to cast a film like that,” he said. “There have been some very successful biopics about music people. La Vie en Rose [about Edith Piaf] was incredible. Ray [about Ray Charles] was amazing. You can pull it off, and I think we’re gonna do a good job, so I’m excited.”

Joking about his own involvement in the film, he quipped: “I’m the DP. I’m the grip. And I’m also catering, which you wouldn’t expect that, but I’ll be cooking up a storm.”

Stone was among the biggest winners of the night at this year’s Oscars, along with Christopher Nolan and his blockbuster epic, Oppenheimer, starring Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr.

You can find the latest updates on the 2024 Academy Awards here, and the full list of winners here.

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